Lao Tan told Zhang Li about the past, and he was very emotional and depressed. It seemed that he had always wanted to say it but had no chance. Today he just released it.
"It is said that children from poor families have already become masters. But is it okay not to become a master? If you are forced to take the position, you have to become a master. You have no choice.
When I was fourteen years old, I first sent back my third sister who had a fight with my third brother-in-law. I started to take charge of the family and manage the affairs of the family.
In the three years of junior high school, I still looked like a student. When I got to high school, no one looked at me as a student, but as a simple farmer. Those who didn't know better thought I had entered the wrong school.
Do you know what my wish was at that time? I wanted to have an older brother. If I had an older brother, I wouldn’t have to run the household, and I wouldn’t have to worry about those things, so I could study with peace of mind.
But that is an extravagant hope. I know what my family is like, and I know that I have already stood at the wheel of the carriage of life. There is no way out, so I can only muster up all my strength and rush forward. Although there are uphill and downhill steps,
Liang, although there are ditches and bumps------
The purpose of going out to work is to get rid of poverty, stop being poor, stop being looked down upon by others, stand up straight and be a good person. Let my mother live a good life and live in a big house, and stand in front of the villagers well-dressed and respectable.
He said that this old lady is so good, she will enjoy happiness when she grows old.
To be honest, it took me ten years to accomplish this. Not only did I get rid of poverty, I also married a daughter-in-law, started a family, and had a son.
The only regret is that my mother is no longer with me. As the old saying goes, raising children will provide for old age. To a certain extent, I did not raise my mother until she was old. My fifth sister raised her. Although it is like raising a son or a daughter, there is always a knot in my heart.
After all, he is his son."
"I don't blame you. Your old lady is old and is not used to living in the city. It's better to stay at your fifth sister's place." Zhang Li said.
"You are right, but if you think about it, you still don't have the ability. If you had the ability, you wouldn't be like this."
"I think it's better to be with your fifth sister than with you. Your concept of your son providing for your old age is too strong."
"You're right."
Lao Tan took a puff of his cigarette, and the coolness of the snowflakes falling on his face calmed his excitement.
"I'm homesick and I'll go back and see if the epidemic passes. It won't always be like this. It's almost under control now," Zhang Li said.
"Well ------ I'm a little homesick, mainly because I miss my mother ------" Lao Tan turned his head and glanced at Zhang Li, "My mother's life has been difficult, and I don't want to have any regrets."
"You are too tired and your thoughts are wandering."
"Right--thinking back to these years, I have never been idle, whether it was for my family or my career, I was busy--but being busy is fun. I know what I want to do in one day, and I have a goal.
Tired yet happy.
It's good now, the epidemic has been cured and I can't go anywhere, I just attend funerals, I don't know what to do anymore."
"It's psychological effect on you." Zhang Li wanted to say that it was mainly because Wang Shulan's death was a huge blow to you, but she swallowed the words as she spoke.
"Maybe."
Zhang Li opened her hand to let the snow fall on her palm, watched it melt, and said leisurely: "I can understand your mood, this energy will not be able to pass for a while, let's go to Jinzi's and have a drink with you.
Just drink it and take a nap."
Lao Tan shook his head and said, "Just go back and stay with Li Shuang and send me home."
Lao Tan returned home and lay on the bed, thinking about things in a mess, and soon fell asleep. When he fell asleep, he was dreaming, and his dreams were all messy, here and there.
When I woke up at two o'clock in the afternoon, the snow was still falling, and it was heavier than it was in the morning.
The phone rang when he was thinking about giving himself some food. He trembled as if he was frightened. He stared blankly at the phone on the bed for a long time, thinking that there was nothing wrong with it.
Good thing.
He picked up the phone and saw that it was Sister Jin who was calling. He couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this should be nothing.
Nothing really happened. There were few guests at the barbecue restaurant on a snowy day, and there were three tables in total at noon. The two tables reserved for the evening were cancelled. Sister Jin felt that it would not be busy in the evening, so she wanted to ask Lao Tan to go over and catch up with old times, and asked if she had time.
.
Lao Tan thought for a while and said that it would pass later if he had time.
Lao Tan put down his cell phone, washed his face, shaved his head and beard, then put on his down jacket and went downstairs.
When I walked to the gate of the community, the security guard said that the epidemic has become serious in the past two days and it is best not to go out. I don't know when I will be ordered to be quarantined at home. Lao Tan said that as long as he can come in when he comes back.
"In the past, no matter what kind of plague it was, it would kill a lot of people as long as it snowed. Just like the flu, it would disappear on its own when it snowed. This is good, the colder the weather, the more rampant it becomes." The security guard complained.
Lao Tan said: "This virus comes from the opposite direction."
"I heard it has mutated."
"I'm learning to commit adultery."
Lao Tan stood at the gate of the community to take a taxi. Taxi work was good in snowy weather, but it was difficult to take a taxi. It was not easy to get a taxi but it was still a double passenger. Fortunately, we were all going to the north of the province, so we were on the way.
In the car, Lao Tan's cell phone rang. It was a call from the manager of the Tiexi store. He said that he had been notified that the restaurant would suspend dine-in dining and it was not certain when it would reopen. He asked Lao Tan what he should do.
Lao Tan said that we should follow the plan at the meeting and contact the community immediately to make free lunch boxes for the epidemic prevention personnel.
After putting down the phone, the driver asked: "Brother runs a restaurant?"
"Well, open a small restaurant." Lao Tan said.
"Brother, you are so enlightened -" the driver gave a thumbs up.
"Otherwise, employees would also be on vacation and they wouldn't be able to go home during the vacation. It would be nice to have something to do so that they can provide funding for others."
"Be particular about it!"
"Uncle is so kind!"
Lao Tan turned around and smiled at the little girl sitting in the back seat. The mother next to the girl asked behind her mask, "How are you, Mr. Tan?"
Lao Tan was stunned for a moment and looked carefully at the sight, which seemed familiar, but the woman was wearing a mask and did not dare to confirm.
The woman pulled the mask down to her chin, exposing her nose and mouth. Old Tan recognized it. It was Qin Lili, Zhang Xiangdong's wife.
Lao Tan was very surprised. He didn't expect to meet her in a taxi.
"What are you?" Lao Tan asked.
"Go home." Qin Lili said, and then pulled up the mask.
"Oh------I remembered that your home is on Taishan Road."
"I moved, I now live in the northern part of the province."
"oh--"
"I didn't ask to see you off to the east. It's snowing heavily."
"You still don't know, Mr. Tan, he and I have been divorced for two years," Qin Lili said.
Lao Tan was very surprised. He really didn't know about Qin Lili's divorce and no one told him.
"I really don't know------Aren't you two pretty good?"
"Oh, let's go together if we can't live together ------"
Lao Tan didn't know what to say for a moment, so he was speechless. The scene when Zhang Xiangdong and Qin Lili got married appeared in front of his eyes, and he couldn't help but sigh.
Old Tan remained silent for a while and asked: "Then what are you doing now -"
"I work as a planner in an advertising company, a small company. My children and I bought a house in the north of the province." Qin Lili said.
"oh--"
"How do you manage your children while you're at work?"
"Send to kindergarten. My working hours are flexible and I can pick you up and drop you off."
"Oh, that's good."
Soon they arrived at the downstairs of Qin Lili's house. Qin Lili said goodbye to Lao Tan and then got out of the car and led her daughter into the entrance of the building.
The car continued to drive, heading in the direction of Puhe Daji.
It was snowing, there were very few pedestrians and vehicles on the road out of the city, and the sky and the earth were completely white.